Muscat: One hundred and eight Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) passengers had a providential escape when their flight from Sialkot nearly crash landed at the Muscat International Airport at 2pm due to ‘technical fault in landing gear’.

Within minutes of the accident, micro-blogging website Twitter and other social media sites were flooded with photographs of crash landed aircraft.

The aircraft 0 Boeing 737 - has landed tilting on the left and the landing gear (rear tyre) on the left of aircraft appears to have broken.

Khan said that the same aircraft was to return with the passengers to Sialkot. “We will have to make alternate arrangements for them,” he said.

In reply to a question, he said that the airstrip was closed after the incident. However, when Gulf News contacted Oman Airport Management Company on phone the operator said that the airport was not closed and had nothing to say about the incident.